Alvah w



(No Modl.)

A. W. HALL.

CIRCUIT FOR ELECTRIC SWITGH SIGNALS.

No. 315,498. atented Apr. 14, 1885.

INVENTOB' NWQN \f. "MM.

BY 72. J'W- 9% ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

N, FEYERS. Pholo-Lnhcgmpher. Wasllingiun UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH w. HALL, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR ro THE FALL RAILWAY SIGNAL coMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

CIRCUIT FOR ELECTRIC SWlTCH-SIGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters; Patent No. 315,498, dated April 14, 1885.

Application filed February 28, i884. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVAH WV. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in C-ircuits for Electric Switch- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

' This invent-ion relates to an electric circuit which is intended to operate a series of signals, serving to indicate safety or danger for a number of switchesconnected to one and the same or to different tracks.

The peculiar construction of my new circuit is pointed out in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 represents a plan view of a series of switches and a diagram of the circuit for operating the electric signals connected to said switches. Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the circuit-changer connected-t0 the switchrails. Fig. 2* is a similar view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the signals.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letters A A designate the two main tracks of a double-track railroad. Wit-h trackAare connected a series of switches, B B B which serve to set the switch-rails b b, b b, b b, respectively. Each of the switches is provided with its own circuit-changer O such, for instance, as that shown in Figs. 2, 2*, and 3. In these figures the letterb designates one of the switch-rails, which rests upon a chair, 22*, connected by a rod, 0 with a'leve r,

- c", that swings on a pivot, 0*, and carries on its upper end two rollers, c c", which act on springs c 0*, fastened on the top of the standard which forms the bearings for the pivot a of the lever 0 It is obvious that instead of the springs c 0* slides or other equivalent devices may be substituted, and I do not wish to confine myself to the construction of the circuitchanger which I have illustrated in the drawings.

When the switch-rails b b occupy the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, (leaving the main track A open,) the spring a is held in contact with its anvil d (see Figs. 1 and 2*) while the spring 0* is out of contact with its anvil d*,

in the same manner when the corresponding switch-rails are moved.

With each switch is combined asignal, S S

S, respectively. These signals are operated by electro-magnets s 8 8 respectively, in such a manner that,ifthe circuit through one of these electro-magnets is closed, the corresponding. signal is raised out of sight, and if the circuit is broken the signal drops down into sight by its own gravity. This operation will be understood by referring to Fig. 4, where S is the signal, 8 the electro'magnet, and 8* the arma-T ture which connects with the signal-lever, as shown.

R is a battery, one pole of which is grounded, while from its other pole extends a wire, 10, to the electro-magnet s, and through this electro-magnet to the support of the spring c. From the anvil d of this spring extends a wire, 11, through the electro-magnet s, tothe support of the spring a, and from the anvil d of this spring extends a wire, 12, through the electro-magnet s", to the support of the spring 0 The anvil d of this spring connects by a wire, 13, with the ground. 'While, normally, there is a main circuit, 10 ll 12, from the battery, including the spring circuit-closers c 0' 0 each controlling the circuit, in order that the breaking of the main circuit at any of these circuit-closers may only affect its own signal an extra circuit is made around each of the circuit-closers, these extra circuits including 0*, c and 0 In each case, as the maincircuit is broken the'extra circuit is closed, af-

'fording a path around themagnet which is 14: to the support of the spring 0*, and the i anvil 62* of this spring connects by a wire, 15, with the wire 11. From the wire 11 extends a wire, 16, to the support of the spring 0*, and from the anvil d* of this spring extends a wire, 17, to the wire 12. From the wire 12 extends a wire, 18, to the support of the spring 0 and from the anvil (1 of this spring extends a 'wire, 19, to the wire 13, which is grounded, as already stated.

If the switch B is moved so as to throw the switch-rails b b in line with the side track, E, the spring 0* is closed, and then the spring 0 is opened, the circuit through electro-magnet s is broken, and the signal S drops into sight. This position indicates danger to the main track A and safety to the side track, E; or, in other words, the engineer of a train approaching on the track A in the direction of the arrow marked thereon sees from the position of the signal S what is the position of the switch B. If the signal is not visible, the switch-rails b b are in line with the main track; but if the signal is in view the switch-rails are in line with the side track.

\Vhen the switch-rails b b are moved in line with the side track, E, the spring 0* is closed, and then the spring 0 is opened, as already stated. The battery-circuit therefore remains closed through the electro-magnets 8 s and the signals SS are not disturbed. In the same manner, if the incoming train is switched off from the main track A to the side track, E, the signal S is brought in view, while the signals S S remain undisturbed, for the spring c* is closed, and then the spring cis opened, and the battery-circuit through the electro-magnets as remains closed through the extra circuit 16 and 17.

The operation of the signal S requires no further explanation.

From this description it will be seen that if the extra circuits 14 and 15, 16 and 17 and 18 and 19 should be taken off, all the signals of the line would be disturbed whenever one of the switches is moved; but by combining with the switch-rails and the signals and with the battery-circuit the several extra circuits, as above described, I am enabled to include a number of switch-signals in one and the same battery-circuit.

The wire 13 may be continued to operate other signal-controlling switches, either on the same track or on different tracks. For instance, in a yard the wire 13 may be run from one set of switches to another set, and thence to a third set, and so on, before it is grounded, so that all the switch-signals in the yard can be controlled by one and the same battery.

lVhat I- claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, substantially as hereiubefore described, of the switches B 13, (two or more,) the signals S S, the circuit-changing devices 0 0*, c c*, connected to the respective switch-rails, the main circuit, including the devices 0 c, and the extra circuits, including the devices 0* c*, respectively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

